The Impossible Quest
by LunaRideX
Summary: I know the chapters are short, but I'll update often. This story is all about Nudge from Maximum Ride, learning that she's a Half-Blood, and a powerful one at that. Bad things are happening, and is she the only one that can stop it! Thanks for reading:D
1. Chapter 1

My eyes snapped open. Struggling for breath, I sat up, only to be welcomed into consciousness by the thud of my head on the ceiling. I'd have to get used to sleeping in the top bunk. I groaned, rubbed my forehead and slowly lay back down. I glanced at the clock on Angel's bedside table. The glowing red numbers stated that it was twenty past four in the morning. Damn, these vivid nightmares really took it out of you. I closed my eyes once more, hoping for a few more hours shut eye, but I was greeted by more troubling images. I shuddered, blocked them out and reluctantly climbed down the ladder, being careful not to wake Max or Angel. However, as I crept through our bedroom door, and set off for the bathroom (a cold shower was in order), I spotted a dark figure lurking at the end of the hall. Cautiously, I inched towards it. As I got closer, I seemed to hear a sort of muted music. Iggy. Of course. I left him in peace and made my way to the shower. You see, only at night could Ig escape the taunts and teases from Fang and Gazzy. Iggy found comfort in Disney songs. Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Camp Rock, you name it, he's heard it. I will admit I am kind of the cause of this. My Disney phase also sucked Iggy in; he claims it makes him feel happy. As I grew out of it, Iggy stayed behind and kept listening. Although, I do sometimes still pretend to like it to get attention from Iggy. I'll do anything to get attention from Iggy. Sigh. Snap out of it, Nudge. Get a grip.

I stepped out of the shower and shook out my caramel curls. I'd had to use a whole bottle of shampoo to get my matted hair to look even a fraction presentable. I suppose it doesn't really matter when you're trying to impress a blind guy, although it does put you in a better frame of mind when you feel clean. I sat down, and unsuccessfully tried to pull a brush through my mane. I wondered what my nightmares meant. Are they like Max's Voice? Do they show the future? They definitely aren't normal dreams. All these answerless thoughts ran circles through my head. I stood up much too fast and fell down. I stretched out my hand to steady myself on the edge of the bath, and realised it was shaking violently. Pull yourself together, Nudge. I attempted to stand up once more, this time taking care to make my movements slow and smooth. I peered down the hallway, it was now flooded with yellow light. No Iggy. My heart sank slightly but then I assured myself that the faster I got changed, the faster I would see him again. I half ran to my room, chucked on a t-shirt and jeans and clumsily sprinted down the stairs, and though I was expecting it, my heart still skipped a beat when I saw his ever so close to perfect face.

"Hey Ig," I said casually, trying to sound somewhat cool. I failed epically.  
>"Nudge! S'up?" He asked, and amazingly, he sounded pleased to see, or hear, me. I probably imagined it though.<br>"Nothing much. What's good this morning?"  
>"I made waffles and bacon. Though I'd be surprised if there's any left, Gazzy's been at them."<br>"Best run then. Catch you later!"  
>Yes! A conversation, however short, successfully completed without making a total fool of myself. Achievement unlocked!<p>

I took my own advice and ran towards the kitchen. God, they smelled so good! Yes, Gazzy had spared a few. Although, speaking of Gazzy, where was he? Ah, well he could wait. Food always comes first. I ate incredibly slowly, savouring every heavenly bite, but I was interrupted by Max's unmistakeable roar,  
>"GAZZY!"<br>Followed by an exceedingly loud and awfully familiar BANG. Oh crap, more fireworks. Really Gaz? Max would of course now be in a foul mood all day. Just what I needed. I'd been meaning to talk to Max about my nightmares today, but that would have to wait. I reluctantly pulled myself away from the bacon and trudged outside.

I squinted against the glare of the beautiful morning sun. Fireworks in the sun. WHY!  
>"I'm sorry!" I heard Gazzy exclaim from on top of Dr. Martinez's poor garage, which now had a gaping hole in its roof.<br>"Sorry doesn't cut it. What good could have possibly come of setting off 300 simultaneous fireworks?" A visibly fuming Max asked.  
>"Well, at least we now know that 269 Crystal Empires will cause immense damage to garage roofs?" Gazzy suggested.<br>"No. Freaking. DUH!"  
>That was the point where I turned around and headed back inside, before something nasty could happen. And knowing Max, it would.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Max finally ventured from the corner where she'd been sulking all day. Once she has had a full frontal screaming fit she needs a while to recover. Poor Gazzy. He'll be scarred for life after this morning's episode. God, the whole of Arizona must've been able to hear her. Still wearing an expression almost worthy of Jeb, she stood, yelled "I'm going out!" and left without another word. Since Fang left, she spent most of her time skulking around, shouting at us for something as little as 'breathing too loudly' or 'looking suspicious'. She was really messed up, but it was pretty hard to feel sorry for her when she was yelling her face off at you. Still, I knew that I would probably be like that too if Iggy left.

"Nudge sweetie, are you okay?" Max asked me from over the top of her magazine. "You look down."  
>"Actually, now that you mention it, I do feel a bit sick," I replied. I glanced in the massive crystal mirror hanging on the opposite wall. Something seemed wrong. The cheerful glow that lived in my eyes had for the first time in my life, disappeared, and dark, gloomy circles had appeared under them. My skin had lost its glow. I looked as if I hadn't slept in months. Although, I had probably just imagined it. "I'm sure I'm fine though Max. I just need an early night." I attempted to smile, but I don't think she was convinced.<p>

That night, I put off going to bed as much as I could, although I was unbearably tired. I was far too worried that as soon as I shut my eyes the nightmares would play back like an old scary film on repeat. Eventually though, after hours of Max's nagging I couldn't wait any longer. I unwillingly trudged up the stairs, brushed my teeth for about six minutes, yanked a brush though each individual snarl and ambled towards my bedroom. I opened the door gently as I didn't want to wake Angel; however I was surprised to see she was still awake. Her eyes were fixed on a book though, so I didn't disturb her. I climbed into my bed, shook out my wings and curled up on my side. Tentatively, I shut my eyes. Just darkness. I breathed a sigh of relief, and got ready for the best sleep in ages. As I was about to drift off, I heard something. Quietly, from the other side of the room, Angel, sounding much more mature than seven, told me:  
>"It will get better, Nudge. Embrace the dreams, don't push them away. They make you much more special than you could ever imagine."<br>Not too sure whether to be relieved or worried, I finally fell out of consciousness and into the best sleep I'd had in weeks.

When I woke the next morning, feeling better than ever, I couldn't remember if Angel had actually said all that to me, or if I had just dreamt it. I decided to shake it off; I wasn't in the mood to worry. I skipped, feeling much like my old, energetic self, down the stairs and headed towards the kitchen. However, when I reached my destination my heart sank. Once again, Iggy was sitting next to Ella, holding hands underneath the table. They'd been doing that a lot lately. Sigh. Out of pure bitterness, I grabbed the toast off Ella's plate (that earned me a glare) and went to watch some Super Sweet 16 in the lounge. Nothing could make me feel worse. Except maybe the look Angel had on her face when I stepped through the doorway. Every nerve in my body told me to turn around and run, but I didn't. Stupid Angel with her mind-control thingy. So against all my wishes, I sat down and listened to her talk.  
>"Nudge, I'm worried about you. I've been paying close attention to your mind recently, and you seem extremely focused on finding out about these dreams you're having. Are you okay?" she asked, in such a patronising tone.<br>"Okay, first of all Ange, there's no need to patronise me, I'm twelve and you're seven. Remember? And they're not dreams. They're NIGHTMARES. Of course I'm worried about them! Of course I want to find out what's causing them!"  
>"You're special Nudge. There's no need to worry,"<br>"I'M NOT FREAKING SPECIAL! I'M THE DIM ONE, REMEMBER? THE GIRLY LITTLE SPACE FILLER THAT NO ONE TAKES SERIOUSLY! THE ONE THAT HAS NO SPECIAL TALENT AT ALL! THE ONE THAT NEEDS LOOKING AFTER 24/7! THE ONE THAT EVERYONE THINKS IS STILL A KID, BUT I'M FREAKING WELL NOT!"  
>"I understand your anger, Nudge, but you do have gifts and many talents..." I cut her off. By this time, I'd woken the whole house, and probably the whole state, too.<br>"Yeah. I can hack computers, which thousands of other people can do, too. And oooh, I'm magnetic, but I can only attract metal when it's TEN FREAKING CENTIMETRES AWAY! WHAT USE IS THAT?"  
>"You need to stay focused on the big picture Nudge. Your talents will be very useful in the future. You need to stop getting side tracked by silly things, like fashion, singing, Iggy..." That's where she crossed the line. I lowered my voice to what I hoped was much more frightening than my previous tones.<br>"Just. Leave. Me. Alone."  
>And that's precisely when I stormed out of the front door. And how ironic is this? The last sight I saw was of Iggy and Ella holding hands.<p>

Of course, Max knew where to find me. I don't know how, it's like me and her have built in radars, we always know where each other are. She flew up to the branch in the massive willow tree I'd found and sat down next to me. We stayed silent for about ten minutes, until Max broke the silence by saying:  
>"I know exactly how you feel,"<br>"I doubt anyone has ever felt as crap as I do now," I replied.  
>"Really? You were told you were special, need to focus on the big picture, yada yada. Sound Familiar? Didn't Jeb say something like that to me once? Oh no wait, make that one hundred times!"<br>"Oh. Yeah, sorry sort of forgot about that,"  
>"Nudge, chick honestly. Don't worry your beautiful little head about this, Angel just in one of her I'm-a-psycho-evil-genius-kid-that's-only-seven-but-acts-about-thirty moods. She's been going on to me about how she should be the flock leader again; it'll all blow over soon, just like it did last time. Now come home, please? Mom's baking cookies!"<br>And that's exactly when I decided to come home. Dr. Martinez's cookies are like unicorn blood, they can cure just about anything. I shot Max my best attempt at a smile, unfolded my wings and took off in the direction of home.


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of my day was totally ruined by the complete and utter awkwardness that filled the house. Hell, it was more awkward than a football field full of turtles. I just sat there, y'know, munching on my cookie, trying to mind my own business, but I kept getting strange looks from Iggy, reassuring looks from Max and worrying mind-messages from Angel ('stay focused!' 'Embrace it, don't push it away!'). And the most annoying thing? Not a single person said a word to me that night. Sigh. Why did I have to be such drama queen?

The next few days followed a similar pattern. If it wasn't for Max, I would have packed my bags and left some time ago. I couldn't do that to her though. Five days after my 'incident' however, Angel pulled me aside once more and, as she put it, "tried to talk some sense into me". I completely ignored her, and she was smart enough not to use her mental gifts. Seeing as she could read my mind, she knew she's a get a good slap afterwards if she did.

A couple of times, Iggy opened his mouth as if to ask me a question, but out of pure embarrassment, every time he did this I made an excuse to leave the room. I sat in my room for hours at a time, completely silent. Sleep was like torture. As soon as I became unconscious, horrible visions danced across my eyelids. I found myself violently awoken, dripping with cold sweat, entangled in my sheets, shaking like a dog on Bonfire Night. This was becoming too much to handle, and I'd lived in a lab for the first few years of my life! I'd spent much of my life on the run, this wasn't exactly 'the hard life' but it was mental agony.

After a few days of this I found myself going completely insane. I mean, all human beings have social needs, but everyone I know would say that I need human interaction more than anyone. Heck, after five days I was already talking to Angel's stuffed animals. After a week, it was becoming stupid; so I decided that the best thing to do would be to leave that night. I packed the small amount of possessions I owned, stole about a hundred bucks from the jar on top of the mantelpiece, and, well, sat on my bed thinking how the hell do I do this? Do I just, like, go? I decided to wait until Max went out on her weekly shop to avoid awkward questions from them. But could I bear to leave Iggy? To know that I might never see his face again? No, I couldn't. But I knew in my heart that this was bigger than that. It had always been bigger that. I needed to man up, and get on with it, because otherwise I'd never forgive myself, for not following my heart, not knowing what could have been if I'd gone it alone. And it was at that moment, that I decided I needed to find out what was wrong with me. I'd made my decision; no one could stop me now.

The next day, when Max was at the shops, I took my backpack and slid out of the front door. Thank god no one noticed! I don't think I could have handled uncomfortable questions from Gazzy, Angel or above all, Iggy. The world, however, seemed to be trying it's very best to prevent me from leaving. There was a huge storm brewing, like a massive ink bottle had been spilt right the way across the horizon. In Arizona! The state of the sun! Thunder echoed eerily all around the valley; raindrops fell all around, like tears from the gods. It was as if I was being warned that my journey wouldn't be easy, it would be easier to turn around and head straight back through the door. But I've never been the type to give up, and that was definitely not the time to start!

I walked a small way, so I didn't attract attention, then unfurled my wings and took to the angry, menacing sky, my tawny wings became saturated by rain within minutes. It took me a while to realise that I had no idea whatsoever where I was headed. However, New York seemed a good place to start, so I headed north east towards Lincoln, what I thought would be a good half- way stop. I'd decide my course once I got there.

It took me a good few hours to travel to Lincoln in the never- ceasing, continuously worsening storm. I couldn't stop in a hotel, seeing as I was an unaccompanied minor, so I snuck into the nearest Wal-Mart and hid in one of the wardrobes, at least I'd be warm and out of the torrential rain that night. During the long, seemingly endless hours before the lights came on and I heard the unmistakeable sound of shoppers outside my hiding place, I came up with a plan. I'd fly to New York, and look for clues as to where I'd come from. What my parents did, a bit of background, maybe it'd give me some leads as to what was wrong with me. However, as soon as I walked out of the doors of Wal-Mart, my plan was thwarted by an ugly, evil old lady.

I didn't think much of her as I passed by, but she obviously thought much of me, she stopped in her tracks, stared, and sniffed the air, as if trying to pick up a unique scent. She staggered towards me, and unlike anything I'd ever seen, in broad daylight, transformed into the most disgusting beast I have EVER seen. And that includes Erasers. She had skin like leather, long, yellow talons and massive black wings. My fight or flight reaction immediately kicked in, and seeing as she also had wings I chose fight. She brandished what seemed like her only weapon, a whip, at me. I dodged it, however it caught my ankle and it felt as if she'd hit me with a white hot poker. But I mustn't give up, I told myself. I used my awesome fighting skills to jump in the air, land on her head and attack what I guessed was a weak point, her eyes. Stamping on them with all my strength, she seemed to weaken, and like a guardian angel, out of nowhere appeared a boy about my age with a bronze sword. He swung it at her multiple times, and she vanished, in a puff of smoke. I shot the boy a 'thanks a bunch for saving my life look' but he was gone, and in his place was a square of paper. It had just five words on it, Half-Blood Hill, Long Island. I used my limited geography skills to deduce that Long Island was a place in New York. My hunch was right!

**Thank you for taking your time to read the beginning of my story:) Please review? I want to know how to make it as good as possible:)**


	4. Chapter 4

In my excitement and eagerness to get going, I almost unfolded my wings in front of a hundred shoppers filing in and out of Wal-Mart, and that's when I realised that none of them were staring, they didn't show a fraction of interest towards me. I started to doubt whether my confrontation with the hag had actually occurred, but I remembered the piece of paper now safely in my pocket was proof that it did. Slightly confused, I headed towards a dark alley so I could safely get going with no one spotting me. To New York it was!

The journey to New York was a long and tiring one. The wind and the rain did not cease once, and by the time I reached my destination, Long Island, I was just about ready to keel over and sleep for about a million years. However, Half-Blood Hill was just up ahead, and from what I could see it was just a strawberry farm. How completely and utterly random. I must make it by any means, I thought to myself. However, as soon as I took a step, I heard growling behind me. Crap. I entered crisis mode, my wings snapped out, I did a rather marvellous standing take off, flew as fast as possible for about a minute, then hazarded a glance back over my shoulder to check if I'd lost my attacker. Thankfully, he hadn't followed me, as he didn't seem to have very alert senses. From what I could see, he was a large sort of bull creature; though it was extremely likely that I was hallucinating, I was so exhausted that my system was running on pure adrenaline. I didn't risk landing, in case that creepy stalker guy charged, but flew towards the strawberry farm instead. I got halfway down the drive, when I saw this massive stone gate, I couldn't make out what it said, something like AMPC LFAH-LOBDO. It looked like alphabet soup, though I'd always had trouble with my reading, I'd never had much practice. But the stone gate looked oddly out of place. And when a man walked out of it with bright blue eyes covering his whole body, that's when I accepted the fact that I'd gone completely loopy, and collapsed.

When I came back to consciousness, I was in a massive, unknown hall, with no one present but the guy covered in eyes. I sighed, opened my mouth to scream, but the man silenced me by lifting a tan, slender finger to his mouth. He spoke quietly into a black walkie-talkie attached to his t-shirt, and seconds later, a guy in the weirdest wheelchair I'd ever seen appeared. He spoke.  
>"Hello, my name is Chiron, and I'll be your camp counsellor for the summer."<br>"Hey now, wait a minute. Not meaning to be rude or anything, but I have a couple of questions," I said, trying to sound like my confident self, but without Max here, I felt strangely lost.  
>"Ask away," Chiron smiled.<br>"First of all, why the hell is the man in the corner covered in eyes?"  
>"He's head of security," Chiron replied simply, as if that closed the matter. I acted as if this was normal, then moved on to my next question.<br>"I have no money. How the hell am I supposed to afford summer camp?"  
>"Oh, this isn't your usual summer camp, of course you'd know that," he said, beginning to look slightly uncertain.<br>"No, I'm sorry, I have no idea what the hell you're on about," I said.  
>"Well then, this should take a while," Chiron sighed. "Do you know anything about the Greek Gods?"<br>"Nope. Not a thing. I couldn't even point out Greece to you on a map." I told him honestly.  
>"Come on, you must have heard of Zeus, at least!" He was starting to sound desperate.<br>"Zeus? No, doesn't ring a bell. Sounds like a brand of washing powder," I admitted.  
>"Okay then," You could tell he was trying to be patient. "Tell me about you. This might be crucial information. Oh wait! I don't even know your name, how rude of me. Let's start with that."<br>"Well, my name's Nudge-"  
>"Wait, I sorry, Nudge?" he interrupted.<br>"Yeah, I named myself. It'll all become clear, let me explain. I was given to a lab when I was just a baby, and the injected bird DNA into me. As a result, I grew wings. This happened to me and five others, you see, we named ourselves. We were bought up in the lab, in cages, but one of the Whitecoats smuggled us out and taught us basic skills, reading, writing, etc. Then one day, he left, without a word. We've been on the run since then, trying to avoid the only other successful hybrid, human/lupine, a.k.a. erasers, which are sent to re-capture us and take us back to the lab. But, you see, we're pretty kick-ass fighters, we can fly, and our bones are lighter than humans, so we can move quicker across the ground, too. So far, we've been pretty successful." I smiled.  
>Chiron looked like it was too much for him to take in. "Okay. Well you're a ... <em>special<em>...case, obviously, but Nudge, there's something you should know. You're not normal,"  
>"No <em>crap<em>," I interrupted.  
>"Well, what I should say is you're more abnormal than you think you are. One of your parents is a god. You're a half-blood, also known as a demigod, or a hero,"<br>"How can you be sure?" I asked him.  
>"Well, for one thing, you wouldn't have been able to cross the boundary line into the camp if you were a full-blood mortal. We gave you a potion so you'd get better faster, and that would have killed you if you were fully human. Also, have you ever had trouble with reading? Do you find that you find it excruciatingly difficult to sit still?"<br>"Yep, that's me, the fidget. And when I try and read, sometimes, the letters are all messed up. Why? What's wrong with me?" I was starting to become worried.  
>"No, nothing's wrong. Your inability to sit still is your battle reflex; it will save your life in a fight. You find reading tough because your brain is hardwired to read Ancient Greek. Let me prove it to you. Khaírete, Nudge!"<br>I immediately understood that he'd said 'Hey, Nudge!' though I didn't know how, I'd never seen a word of ancient Greek in my life. I was bewildered.  
>"Khaírete Chiron!" I replied. "Peinô kaì dipsô,"<br>"We will sort some food out for you now. Marcus!" Chiron called.  
>A small man with a wiry, ginger goatee emerged, with a tray of juicy green grapes, olive pizza and an empty, golden goblet. The strange thing was, his legs were covered in thick, bristly fur and where his feet should have been, there were small black hooves.<br>"Marcus is a satyr."  
>"I'm sorry, a what?"<br>"Never mind, now. You are hungry, thirsty and exhausted. To work the goblet, just speak whatever beverage you would like to it and it will automatically fill. Eat and sleep now, young child." And though I still had many questions burning like acid beneath my skin, he left.

**Thank you for reading! Review?:)**


	5. Chapter 5

As soon as I awoke, I made sure to keep my eyes closed for a minute or so and tell myself that it had all been a crazy dream, there's no such thing as Greek Gods. But when I did open my eyes, I found myself in that same, beautiful, white, unfamiliar hall and the man with electric blue eyes covering his body was still standing guard in the corner. I sat up, stretched, and got to my feet for the first time in what I guessed was days. My knees buckled underneath me, my legs felt like a bowl full of jelly, so I sat on the cold marble floor for a minute. The strange eye-guy must have called Chiron; he walked through the door, a look of concern upon his middle aged face. Well, I say walked, I really mean trotted. Yes, trotted, the satyrs were not the only ones on this camp with hooves. Chiron was half man, half pure, dazzling white stallion. I felt rude, but I couldn't help but stare.  
>"Nudge, are you alright? I have been told you collapsed," He sounded worried.<br>"I'm fine. Well, as fine as you can feel when a half horse has just walked through the door," I replied.  
>"Oh, I'm sorry! I forgot, I didn't mention that I was a centaur yesterday!" The blank look on my face must have told him that I had no clue what he was on about. "Half man, half horse." He explained.<br>"Okay." I said rather slowly, my mind was working overtime to try and process all this new, very weird information.  
>"I know, this is all very strange for you Nudge, but it's about to get a hell of a lot stranger. Your mother or father is a God." He looked sorry, but I thought it was pretty cool.<br>"Okay, yesterday, you mentioned Greek 'Gods', emphasis on the plural. So, which one is my parent?" I asked excitedly.  
>"The thing is Nudge, we don't know. You have to wait to be claimed. Anyway, I'll go into more detail later. I have some things to show you, follow me."<br>I got up; my legs seemed relatively stable so I followed Chiron. The sun blinded me, but I kept walking, I was so curious. He showed me around.

At the far side of camp, there was a dark, menacing forest in which I was fairly sure the trees were moving. There was a massive, white house, a large field full of the juiciest looking strawberries I'd ever seen, a stable block housing white, gorgeous horses, a long, stunning beach where the blue waves gently stroked the fine, white sand, a collection of wooden benches, a climbing wall which I was sure was covered in fire and a ring of numerous ridiculously mismatched cabins. The main cabin was large, made of attractive white marble with shining bronze doors; it had a smaller, more delicate though similar cabin right beside it. The next was made of rough, slightly green-tinged stone with seashells above the slightly less magnificent door. Another looked like a small cottage, covered in colourful flowers and tomato plants. Next to this was a blood red cabin with an ugly boar's head glaring down on all passers by, the barbed wire across it made me wary about approaching. Beside this, was a simple yet pretty gray cabin with curtains that looked like pure silver, a wise looking owl was perched above the entrance. The other cabins included a handsome, solid gold cabin that shone in the yellow sunlight, a plain looking, unassuming silvery cabin, a brick cabin which looked like a small factory, a cute wooden cabin with a striking blue roof, a completely black cabin with strange green smoke protruding from the chimney and a plain cabin covered with brilliant purple grape vines. Lastly, we came to a small, ugly, brown cabin with peeling brown paint, and, with a slightly disappointing pang, I was told I would sleep in there for the time being.

We spent the rest of the day discussing, well, me mainly. Chiron was curious about my background, the flock, my other powers and mostly, why I ran away. I told him the truth, about the labs, Jeb, the Whitecoats and the Erasers in detail. I also told him about my computer skills my magnetism, and the dreams I'd been having. When he asked for details about the dream, I hastily changed the subject. I didn't like to talk about them.

We also chatted about Ancient Greece. He gave me details on all the main gods; he called the 'The Twelve Olympians' – Zeus, king of the gods, god of sky and weather (mainly thunder and lightning), Poseidon, god of the sea, earthquakes and horses, Hera, goddess of women, marriage and queen of the gods, Apollo, god of prophecy, healing, disease, music, archery and poetry, Artemis, goddess of hunting, wilderness and wild animals, Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty and pleasure, Athena, goddess of wisdom, inspiration, civilization, strength, warfare, arts and crafts, justice and skill, Ares, god of war and courage, Demeter, goddess of agriculture and grain, Hephaestus, god of metalwork, stonemasonry and sculpture, Hermes, god of travel, roads, hospitality, language and astrology, also, the messenger of the gods, and finally, Dionysus, the god of wine and festivity, who, I was told was the manager of the camp, a punishment for chasing a wood nymph, who was apparently 'off-limits.' The campers called him Mr. D.

Chiron told me that all the cabins represented the Gods. He told me that the reason there was more than twelve was because there were Minor Gods to take into consideration, too. All their children resided in the cabins, usually just during the summer but occasionally all year round.

He then took me over to this massive round building which he called an 'amphitheatre', and left me with the sword-fighting teacher, whom he called Percy. Chiron said he'd answer any questions I had.

**So we've finally met Percy! Yet he's older:) Tell me what you think! Review?:)**


	6. Chapter 6

"So, I can finally meet the infamous Nudge! I've heard a lot about you," Percy said, stretching out a large scarred hand. I was nonplussed. How the hell did this stranger know me?  
>"Not to be rude or anything, but who are you?" I said, confused.<br>"I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon." He smiled at me.  
>"I'm Nudge Insert Witty Last Name Here, daughter of I Have No Clue Whatsoever." I smiled back at him, but he looked really caught off guard.<br>"You don't have a second name? And don't worry, you'll be claimed soon," He was trying to sound welcoming, but his curiosity was taking over.  
>"No, no I do not, and what on Earth is this claiming business?" I asked him.<br>"Claiming is a sort of ritual that Demigods go through when their parents send a message to let everyone know that that this Demigod is their son or daughter. It's kinda difficult to explain. You'll see soon enough," He winked. "You're a special case, you are. You've got this odd aura about you. Come, I'm going to introduce you to someone."

Percy led me a short way along a path, asking me lots of questions about my past. He seemed really intrigued, in a good way though, more fascinated than disgusted. He cleverly avoided asking the most obvious question: 'Do you have wings?' However I caught him staring at my back numerous times, so I just went ahead and told him the truth. He seemed like a good guy, I enjoyed talking to him so it was kind of a disappointment when we reached our destination. However, when we got there I found myself speechless. It was the biggest, most beautiful building I had ever seen. I knew nothing about architecture but I could tell that this was the ultimate. Curved ceiling, perfect arches, wide and spacious, beautiful mosaic tiles covered the floor, shimmering and sending reflections in all directions. The ceiling was vast and white, giving the room a clean and fresh look. There was statues dotted around the room, magnificent, powerful statues which seemed to stare at you, their gaze followed you wherever you went. There was also a small fire glittering at the head of the room, giving the room a warm and happy glow.

A tall, very pretty and quite intimidating girl walked up to us. She had blonde curly hair, an athletic, slender figure and tanned California skin. Yeah, I know, doesn't sound intimidating, but you didn't see her eyes. They were massive and beautiful yet a startling grey, like storm clouds. She did _not_ look like someone you'd want to get on the wrong side of. To my amazement, she walked up to Percy, kissed him on the cheek and slipped her arm around his waist.  
>"Who's your friend, Seaweed Brain?" She asked Percy.<br>"Let's let her introduce herself." He winked at me.  
>"I-I'm Nudge," I stammered. God, that girl scared me.<br>"I'm Annabeth. Nice to meet you," She reached out her hand, so I shook it.  
>"Annabeth designed this whole place," Percy gestured to the hall. "It's a temple. All these statues are the Gods. There's my dad, Poseidon." He pointed towards a big, silver statue of a guy with a long beard and sunglasses.<br>"That's my mum, Athena," Annabeth nodded towards a statue is a beautiful woman with Annabeth's storm-cloud eyes.  
>"So... Why do they all look so normal? I mean, they're Gods, aren't they?" I asked them.<br>Percy and Annabeth looked incredulous.  
>"Is this girl for real?" She asked him.<br>"Chiron warned me that she was a ... _special_ ... case," He replied.  
>"Hello? I'm standing right here!" I said feeling kind of frustrated. They were talking about me like I was some sort of inanimate object. Percy looked apologetic.<br>"Look, Nudge, I'm sorry. Come with us, the fireworks down on the beach are about to start. I'm sure they'll help lighten your mood."  
>I wasn't convinced.<p>

As it turned out, I was right. The fireworks did _not_ help lighten my mood whatsoever. They just made the future look more ominous.

Percy and Annabeth took me down to the beach. (Which I must admit, was absolutely beautiful.) There must have been at least three hundred kids there, singing, dancing, just generally having a good time. Something I'd never been able to do, due to the fact that there was almost always some rabid human/animal hybrid or some creepy mad scientist after me. Anyway, the kids seemed to range from about seven to eighteen, and they were all wearing the same t-shirt- orange, with the letters 'Camp Half-Blood' emblazoned across the chest, (It took me a while to figure that out, reading was becoming increasingly difficult). I didn't fit in whatsoever here, I was sure of it. But, what else was I supposed to do? Go back and awkwardly hand out with flock? No way. I told myself to man up and give this place a chance. Anyway, my parents had always been a mystery to me. It would be so totally awesome to finally meet one of them, even if they had given me away to the lab.

Anyway, I sat with Percy and Annabeth, which was kind of awkward, but they were welcoming enough. I guess they remembered how hard it was to be a newcomer at the camp. As the sun was just disappearing over the horizon, sending beautiful dancing sparkles across the sea, the first firework went off. Boy, they were incredible; I can't even begin to describe them. Think of your average bonfire night display and times it by about a million. Make that a trillion. There was every single colour you could think of, shimmering in the most beautiful shapes and patterns. I sat there in silent astonishment, mouth wide open. I probably looked like a right weirdo. When they finished, it was a huge disappointment, but I knew I'd remember them forever. I turned and smiled at Percy, about to express my amazement... and that's when it all went totally and utterly wrong.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey! Sorry I haven't posted in a while, and there's only one explaination for it: School. But it the Christmas holidays now, so I should be able to update much more often!:D I have a couple of things to say, firstly, I'm British, and I know the story is set in America, so if my writing includes English words and phrases I'm really sorry:( And also, I've had a request to double space dialogue from now on, so that will change! Thanks:D ~Luna x**

Everyone turned and stared at me like I was some sort of amazing creature. A couple of people gasped, one girl even fainted. Chiron looked like he was about to shoot someone, and apparently, I'd caused it all.

I didn't sense anything wrong with me at all, but everyone was looking at me as if I'd just turned green and sprouted fangs or something. I was stood there for what seemed like ages, incredibly awkwardly, might I add, when I realised that everyone was staring just above my head. So, naturally, I looked up, and saw a lightning bolt flashing above my head. I mean, not an _actual_ lightning bolt, like a picture of one. I think they're called holograms, or something weird like that. Anyway, this random hologram eventually faded, and it was deadly silent for about thirty seconds. Then, Chiron came trotting over, grabbed my shoulder very firmly and literally dragged me like some doll to the big house. Percy, Annabeth and some drop-dead gorgeous woman followed us. Chiron thrust me into some chair, dropped his head into his hands and muttered something like 'Why, Zeus, why?', Annabeth looked like she was going to burst into tears, Percy seemed to radiate anger, he looked at me pitifully and this unknown knock-out appeared as if she was going to throw up. The tension in the room was so thick; it would have taken possibly a couple of good, sturdy swords to cut through it. After yet another long, awkward period of silence, I decided to break the tension.  
>"So... are you guys going to introduce me to your friend here?" I asked uncomfortably.<p>

"I'm Piper," she said, her voice thick. "Daughter of Aphrodite."

Right. That's why she was so absolutely amazingly drop-dead knock-out beautiful. Being the daughter of the Goddess of beauty does that to you.

"So..." I said yet again. "What the hell just happened?"

"Nudge, you were just claimed. Your godly parent just let us all know that you're his daughter. You've probably already guessed who it is." Chiron told me, almost mournfully.

"Huh?" I asked, totally bewildered.

"That hologram? The one that appeared above your head?" Annabeth spoke for the first time. She sounded sort of sarcastic, and patronizing. I think I actually sank a couple of inches in my seat.

"Lay off her, Annabeth. She's completely new at this. She'd never even heard of the gods before yesterday." Chiron said to her. He then spoke directly to me. "Nudge, which god did I tell you was the God of Lightning?"

"I'm sorry, Chiron, I have an awful memory," I told him apologetically.

"The King of the Gods?" He said almost desperately. "The first god I mentioned?"

A light came on in the back of my head.

"Oh, the guy who's name sounds like washing powder? Zeus or something like that isn't it?" I asked him, and almost instantaneously, I heard a distant rumble of thunder.

"That's the one. But, ah, Nudge, do me a favour? Be careful when talking about the gods. They don't like it when you offend them." Chiron told me.

"What, comparing Zeus' name to a washing powder brand is offending him?" I asked. I then heard a distinctly louder rumble of thunder.

"Yeah, you'd be surprised how... uh... how..." He paused, as if trying to find exactly the right word. He finally came up with "Sensitive. Yes you'd be surprised how sensitive the Gods are."

"So anyway, what's so bad about my dad being Zeus? I think it's pretty cool actually," I smiled.

"You see Nudge, it's not that simple," Percy began. "Hera – queen of the gods, and Zeus's wife – got so fed up of all Zeus's affairs; she swore that if he had another demigod child, she'd kill them, banish Zeus to Tartarus – the place where immortals and monsters go when they're destroyed, because they can't die – and also, she'd kill anyone who tried to defend him. He's been true to his word for fifteen years, or so we thought... You're not fifteen, are you Nudge?" He asked desperately.

"No, I'm not really sure but I'm definitely no older than fourteen." I said feeling totally bummed out. A guaranteed death sentence does tend to get you down a bit. "So, what am I supposed to do?" I asked, trying with all my might not to cry. I'm tough, I told myself over and over.

"Well, the only thing you can do, Nudge is to try and convince Hera to change her mind. I doubt it'll work, but you have no other choice. I'm so sorry." Chiron said, his voice full of despair. Piper burst into tears, Annabeth sat down in the nearest seat, her head in her hands and Percy marched over and grasped my shoulder.

"You can do it Nudge. If anyone can, you can. You're special." He told me, trying to sound supportive. Piper looked up, a strange expression in her eyes.

"You mean... she's the one from the prophecy?" She asked.

"Yes, yes she is. And, um, there's one more thing you all should know. 'Child of the Sky' doesn't just refer to her being a daughter of Zeus. Nudge? Can I tell them?" I thought a while, but then realised they'd find out anyway. I nodded. "She has wings." Chiron announced.

Piper gasped, Annabeth looked up and Percy smiled. Of course, he knew already.

"Are you serious?" Annabeth asked in disbelief.

"Deadly," I replied.

"Can I, um, can I see them?" She asked tentatively.

"Sure." I smiled, jumped on the dark wood table. I shook out my curls, which were now tangled and matted with sweat, let out a sigh and unfurled my tawny wings.

Piper's beautiful hazel widened with shock, Annabeth looked astounded.

"They're beautiful," She told me.

"Where... How... Why...?" Piper was lost for words.

"Now is not the time for explanations. Nudge, follow me. I'm taking you to bed." Chiron said firmly. "Stay here." He commanded Piper, Annabeth and Percy. If they had any sense, they'd have done what he said.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello! Once again, I do apologise for the delay in my updates, but once again, damn muggle school is getting in the way:( I have recieved a good few positive reviews so far, so thaks everyone! I really do appreciate it:3 Soooo... Here is Chapter 8, hope you enjoy:D ~Luna x**

That night I slept in the big house. Chiron told me that he honestly didn't know which cabin to put me in, he thought that if I slept in Zeus's cabin it may just anger Hera further.

I lay in bed for what felt like a century, trying to take all this new information in. I mean, my dad, a God? And _King_ of the Gods at that? I spent years trying to find out who my parents were, and he never even acknowledged me. All that time I spent tirelessly searching for them, he could've sent me a sign or something. Anger began to bubble furiously inside me. Why was he so selfish? So many horrible thoughts crossed my mind that night, however just as I witnessed the morning sun creeping over the horizon, I realised that I was the selfish one in this situation. Of course my dad couldn't have had anything at all to do with me, by pretending I didn't exist he was saving me and himself from a probably excruciating death by the hands of Hera. So, I asked myself, what am I going to do about this? I knew I had to do something. Hera could be torturing my dad as I lay there.

I got out of bed slowly, still not feeling too hot. I reached out my hand to steady myself on the cool metal railings of the bed, hastily threw on the orange t-shirt and jeans and slipped my feet onto the boots that someone had very kindly laid out for me. Then, I went to find Chiron.

I stumbled across the centaur in the armoury.

"Ah, Nudge, there you are!" He tried to sound cheery but epically failed. He sounded like he had a nasty head cold and looked like he'd been out partying all night. The bags under his eyes could have carried the shopping and I didn't know if it was just the light, but his hair seemed a few shades greyer.

"Chiron, you look awful."

"Hey, you don't look too hot yourself. Well, I guess we do have an excuse. Come, I need to fit you with a weapon," He beckoned me into the spacious room.

I had to admit, apart from all the drama/lies/new information/death threats circling my pounding head at that moment, I managed to be excited. Come on, a weapon? Wow. I'd only ever fought with my hands before, and not meaning to brag, but I was pretty awesome. I began to imagine epic sword fights with dragons, monsters and plenty of other mythical creatures that I'm pretty sure my mind conjured up. I would have been perfectly happy to stay in this fantasy world I'd created forever, but Chiron brought me back to Earth with a snap of his fingers.

"Weapons, okay, cool." I found it hard to disguise the grin, as I didn't think it was quite appropriate in our current situation. I covered the distance between us in three short strides.

"Hmm..." Chiron looked me over, is if analysing me. This made me feel ridiculously uncomfortable. I felt like I was being examined, assessed, scrutinised, and that just made memories of the School come flooding in. I think he could tell I was uncomfortable, as he hastily stopped and placed his hand on my shoulder. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." He assured me. He turned and picked up a beautiful bronze sword with rubies encrusted on the hilt. Sliding his finger across the edge, he said "Here. Try this."

I grabbed the hilt, and immediately, my arm felt ungainly and awkward. He snatched it off me almost straight away, muttering negative statements under his breath. His eyes flickered over the rack of swords, he occasionally handed me one but grasped it back instantaneously. When he finally reached the edge of the wall, he took down one more sword. This was the most beautiful of all, just under two feet, bronze with silver edges and Greek writing inscribed along the blade. I somehow made them out to say 'power, strength, energy and grace.' Chiron handed the blade to me, looking slightly uneasy. I took it rather cautiously in reaction to the weary look in his eye, but was delighted to find the sword was extremely comfortable. A massive smile slowly crept toward the corners of his face, and I couldn't help returning it. This sword was incredible. It simply felt like an extension of my arm.

"I think this is the one," I smiled a Chiron. He answered with a nod.

"I thought so. This sword has a family history in your case. Her name is _Charis, _after one of the Greek Charities. It means 'Grace'. You may also have noticed the words 'Power', which is what she will give to you, 'Strength', which is what you need to use her and 'Energy', which is the force she conducts written on the blade,"

"Wait, what do you mean exactly? It conducts energy?" I asked, confused.

"Exactly. Energy in its purest form: lightning. Being the daughter of Zeus I'd imagine you can harness its power, most of your siblings can."

"I have siblings? What about the..." He cut across me.

"They are older than you, before Hera's... uh... _request _was passed." I nodded. "So, anyway, back to that sword's history. It is an extremely old weapon, fashioned by Charis' own daughter and named in her honour. She in fact made it for her sweetheart, one of your late siblings, Alexandros. He was a magnificent hero, and had an aptitude for harnessing lightning, but because of this he could be extremely dangerous. Charis' daughter fashioned this sword to try and keep his powers restrained. Initially, it fulfilled its purpose, though Alexandros was too powerful. He eventually burnt himself to cinders. Such a shame, he was an outstanding hero..."

"Hey, Chiron, can I ask you a question?" I asked, puzzling over his last sentence.

"If I were being facetious, I would tell you that technically, you already have," He replied, grinning. I rolled my eyes.

"Ask away."

"You tell me that this weapon is extremely old, yet you talk as if you knew this Alexandros. How old are you?" I asked, hoping to sound not too rude.

To my surprise, he laughed. "I'm immortal, Nudge." My already saucer-like eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Zeus granted me immortality, so I stay alive as long as I am needed to teach, instruct and guide heroes."

"Wow. That's amazing." I said, feeling rather shocked and in awe.

"Why, thank you. Follow me child, for I have much more to show you. Next, we shall study the art of sword fighting."

Boy, was I excited for that.

* * *

><p><strong>I seem to have forgotten to do this in previous chapters but just so we're all clear...<strong>

DISCLAIMER  
>I do not own PJO or Maximum Ride. I am not Rick Riordan or James Patterson. This story is not meant to offend anyone, it is simply a work of fiction.<p>

**Thanks guys! ~Luna x**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello!:D Here is the long awaited chapter 9!:L Just on a side note, the last sentence of chapter 8 was not supposed to be sarcastic. On reading it back I did notice it sort of comes across that way. But it's not supposed to be! Please R&R!:) ~Luna x**

My introduction to sword fighting was incredible. It met every single one of my sky high expectations and even soared beyond. Chiron could tell I wasn't exactly a beginner at fighting, my movements were swift and graceful and I dodged every one of his attacks (although, he probably was going easy on me). I was dead on my feet by the end of it but it had been one of the best experiences of my life. All this business with swords reminded me of the boy who came to my rescue whilst travelling here. I asked Chiron about it.

"You were attacked by a Kindly One?" He asked.

"I don't know what the accurate term is exactly..." I replied.

"I'm sorry, you're so talented and calm I forget you have almost no knowledge of our world. Yes, by what you described it does seem that was a Fury, also known as a Kindly One. And as for your knight in shining armour, that was James Archer. He has returned from his quest today, if you'd like to go and thank him. He is a son of Apollo."

"Thanks Chiron. I think I will." I flashed him a winning Nudge smile on my way out of the door. Really, I'd be eternally grateful to him; he'd helped me so much, been so patient with me. Kind of how Jeb used be. Like a father I'd never had.

I instantly remembered which cabin Apollo's children belonged to. It had definitely been one of my favourites on our tour, seeming to glow a beautiful gold as if it was generating sunlight. I wasn't let down the second time I saw it. I was surprised to find I was apprehensive about approaching, and that was totally out of character. I mean, this guy had saved my life. What was I going to say? I couldn't just say "Hey, thanks a bunch." Oh well. I guessed I'd figure it out when I got there. I took a deep breath, composed myself then strode to the door and planted three loud knocks on it.

A small girl, who couldn't have been older than seven opened the door. She had blonde coloured hair that glistened just like the sun and big, blue, innocent eyes. She seemed to radiate heat and sunlight.

"Elsie Archer. How can I help you?" Her voice was sweeter than candyfloss.

"I'm looking for your brother, James. Could you point me in the right direction?" I asked.

"Of course. He's with his Pegasus, Chip at the stables." She beamed, almost blinding me.

"Thank you," I gave her a Nudge smile, though for once, it seemed meagre in comparison to hers.

Just as Elsie told me, I found James mucking out a beautiful spotted Pegasus with the name 'Chip' painted on his door. He looked exactly as he did when he saved my life those few short weeks ago. His dark brown, unkempt, curly hair tumbled over his forehead. His slender frame towered a few inches above my rather tall 5'6. His strong and powerful jaw made him look much older than he really was. But it was his bluish-steel eyes, which looked like the sky in midwinter, which gave him away. They were young, scared and caring. I couldn't remember how I remembered so many details about his face, but I did. It wasn't the sort of face you forgot in a hurry.

He jumped violently when I told him:

"Your Pegasus is beautiful."

"Thank you." He replied. When he finally looked at my face, a massive grin spread across his. "I know you right? You're the plucky little winged demigod I saved back in Lincoln, right?"

"That's me." I returned his smile.

"You made it! Nudge right? I've heard the rumours. Daughter of Zeus. I'm so sorry," The smile on his face disappeared and was replaced by a caring, genuine look of sympathy. "James, by the way." He held out his hand, and I took it expecting a shake but receiving a kiss. My face burned like fire.

"Hello James. Well, I dropped by to say thank you. For-for saving my life. I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you." And then he smiled. And I smiled back. Not a smile I used to get my own way, or to dazzle strangers but a real smile. One that I hoped showed him that I really did care.

Chip poked his head over the wooden door of his stall. I stroked his pink spotted muzzle in silence for a while, until James asked me a question.

"How- uh – how did you get them? Your wings I mean." His voice was cautious, as if he had been thinking of a way to ask me ever since our first encounter.

"I was given to a lab. They injected me and a bunch of others with bird DNA. And this is how we turned out." I wasn't scared to tell anyone anymore. Everyone already knew, and they weren't treating me like a freak. I guessed that they already had a whole bunch of weird to deal with around here; a girl with wings wasn't really that exciting.

"Can-can I, uh..."

"Can you see them? Sure." This guy had saved my life. This was the least I could do.

I unfurled my wings through the slits that I'd cut in my t-shirt. I could see poor James was doing his best to conceal his shock, but his beautiful steely eyes gave it away. They gave everything about him away.

"You're beautiful."

"Thank you. But really, they're not. They're mutations." I mumbled at my feet.

"Shush, they're wonderful." He told me. I couldn't tell whether he was being serious or polite. When I finally found the courage to look up, he was gone.

The next few days were so crammed full of activities, I barely had time to breathe. Classes in Ancient Greek, which were taught by Annabeth, sword fighting, which were taught by Percy and Arts and Crafts, which were taught by Piper were basically all my day consisted of, except for food and sleep. Just when I thought I had five minutes to myself, Chiron found me and told me I had another job to complete.

"Another job? Chiron, you've got to be kidding me. I'm about to pass out here!" I complained.

"I think you'll enjoy this job. Follow me." I was too tired to protest.

He led me to a big, warm campfire spitting electric blue sparks. Apparently, my job was to socialise. That, I was good at. I immediately found James sitting with a bunch of other kids, and caught his eye. He beckoned me over with a swift movement of his head. He and his friends all wore carefree, casual smiles illuminated cheerfully by the light of the bonfire.

I made it to the bench where he was sitting, and before I could do anything else, a girl with curly red hair the exact colour of the bonfire sprang out of her seat. She spoke with an accent I didn't recognise.

"Niamh Fitzgerald, pleasure to meet you." Freckles covered her pale face and her eyes were as green like the grass in spring. "I'm from Ireland, in case you hadn't guessed, Waterford to be exact. But I much prefer it here. I feel like I belong, for the first time in my whole life..." The rest of her speech kind of surpassed me. One thing I did retain, however, was that she was the daughter of a Goddess called Hecate. I made a mental note to ask someone what she was the Goddess of. Like I did, Niamh seemed to have a gift for talking. Something that I seemed to have lost since leaving the Flock.

I went through many introductions that evening, it turned out that James was rather popular. The only heroes I actually remembered however were Niamh, a girl called Eleri from a place called Wales (From my limited Geography studies, I remembered that was in the UK) who was the daughter of Athena, a boy called Alfie from California who was the son of Poseidon. Also, a girl called Sofia from Argentina, who was the daughter of another minor Goddess called Nemesis. Finally, a boy called Chandler from San Francisco who was the son of Ares. Eleri was tall, pale and quiet with a sheet of beautiful silver blonde hair and mesmerising blue eyes like the sea when the sun is shining. Alfie was short but muscular with sun kissed skin which made him look like he's been on the beach constantly for the past few weeks. He was easy to talk to and reminded me a lot of his brother, Percy. Sofia had dark skin like the colour of milky coffee, straight, jet black hair and deep green eyes. She spoke with a strong, intimidating accent. Finally, Chandler was tall, stocky, muscular and well, to put it plainly, terrifying. He didn't exactly 'speak', he used more of a point and grunt method. He bore a startling resemblance to a troll.

That evening was the best I'd spent at camp yet. It was nice to finally have a night off, and meet some people. Adult's company doesn't exactly compare to that of children's. I felt at home for the first time yet, and I almost forgot about all the worries pressing down on my mind. Almost.


	10. Chapter 10

**OH HEY THERE! Long time no see! And, to make up for not posting much, here's a long chapter! Yaaaay! Thanks for all the positive feedback, really feeling the love here:3 Remember, keep reviewing and recommending it to your friends! And also, sorry for my failed attempt at prophecies:/ Oh, and I don't own Maximum Ride or Percy Jackson, no offence intended, any resemblance with my made up characters to any other work of fiction is entirely conincidental etc.:) ~Luna x**

The next few days were some of the best of my life. I finally had friends, friends my own age, friends that accepted me for who I was. Eleri taught me archery; she was extremely talented, hitting the bulls-eye every single time without fail. He bow and arrows were silver and shone like moonlight. She told me they were a gift from her mother for her eleventh birthday. Niamh showed me her magic (as is turned out, Hecate was the Goddess of sorcery) and I had to admit, I was über jealous. She could make things levitate, turn invisible and walk through walls. She told me that it was really difficult and tiring but totally worth it. Alfie attempted to teach me to surf, yet I was abysmal so we spent a couple of hours on the beach sunbathing, eating ice cream and telling each other childhood stories. He was fascinated by my life, and was extraordinarily like Percy. James and his sister Elsie taught me Pegasus riding, and it was extremely enjoyable, the Pegasus' were absolutely adorable, and James was such an amazing teacher. I was much too scared to even approach Chandler, and Sofia seemed to keep herself to herself. Talk about the strong and silent type.

Of course, I had to repay them somehow. And, I felt the only way to do that was by showing them my wings. Once I'd finally mustered up the courage to show them my freakishness, I called them out onto the beach, unfurled my tawny wings and took off. The air on my face felt absolutely amazing. I washed away all my worries, and for at least a while, I was free.

The thing I was most surprised about, however, was their reactions. They weren't scared, mocking or horrified, they were amazed and in awe. I couldn't believe how accepting they were.

However, lying in bed that night, all the awfulness and fear that I had been continuously pushing to the back of my mind began to rise to the surface. It began with the Flock. I missed them so much; it was so stupid and selfish of me to run away. If I'd just stayed put like a good little girl I wouldn't have been in that mess. But I'm not just a good little girl, I told myself. I'm a mutant. A freak. A weirdo. And the fact that I'm now half Greek God just enhances that. But that's no reason to give up. I may be all those afore mentioned things, but I'm also a fighter. And I'm very determined. I'm not going to take this lying down. This Hera woman can shove off, because if I've finally found one of my parents, I'm sure as hell not giving them up. Not by a long shot.

It was a while before I fell asleep, and once I did I was once again plagued by a nightmare, this time more vivid and terrifying than ever. It began with me sitting in a cell, my hair matted and my face shining with sweat. My clothes had been taken and replaced with what resembled a used tea towel. There were dragons and massive snakes and monstrous spiders like the one in Lord of the Rings and even more creatures I'd never seen before, much more horrifying than anything I'd ever encountered, including bloodthirsty, flying Erasers. My ears were flooded with the unmistakable, bone-chilling screams of children. I gripped my head tightly in my shaking hands. Where was I? When I risked a glance out of my cell, I witnessed a disgusting yet magnificent colossal grey dragon dragging a blood stained cart the size of your average football stadium. On closer inspection I realised a number of things. The first was the pained look on the dragon's face. I could tell by the milky film coating his eyes that he was blind, but even that did not manage to disguise the pain that resided deep inside them. He was dragging his mammoth claws and his whole body shook with every haunting breath. The whole scene was entirely disturbing, without the detail that inside the cart lay thousands of dead people. Dead people, and dead birds. And you know what the ultimate disturbance was? Right on the top lay a dead Max, Fang, Iggy, Angel and Gazzy.

A sob escaped my small, rattling chest. Pain struck my heart as I realised how much I really missed them. Trembling, I rose to my feet, and glanced around my cell. The wall I was witnessing the horrifying scenes through comprised of tough metal bars, yet the other three were solid concrete. My bird-kid claustrophobia kicked in, and I began hyperventilating. This confined cell was like torture, and although I was still in dream mode I had a flashback to my time in the lab. The cell was my stifling dog cage, trapping me, forcing me to watch every detail of this ultimately disgusting scene.

And just as I was about to flip out, I heard a voice. Well, to put it more accurately, a roar pierced my eardrums.

"Silly Demigods. Always think they're so tough, so mighty. But listen to me, Daughter of Zeus, you cannot defeat me. Your efforts are futile. You, your father and all your pesky little friends will be dead within seventy two hours. And that, my dear, is a promise."

I awoke so abruptly I almost gave myself whiplash. I was tangled in a web of sheets and my bed, face and pillow were soaked with sweat. My breathing shallow, I slowly untangled myself and stood. I'd just encountered one of those horrifying nightmares that leaves you feeling even more tired than you were the previous night, yet I forced myself to find some strength somewhere. Today, I told myself, I was going to leave camp.

I shoved on a pair of shoes and headed to the showers. I stood under the flow of water for what felt like an age, sobbing, then telling myself to man up, the sobbing, and then pulling half my hair out by attempting to drag a brush through it. I finally came to a conclusion. I either needed to accept my death graciously, or get out there and do something about the whole freaking situation. So, naturally, I chose the latter.

Once I'd got dressed I went searching for Chiron, and strangely, I found him sitting around the massive mahogany table in the Big House. He was joined by about twenty demigods, all of the ones I'd met earlier in their ranks. He had a serious look on his timeless face.

"Ah, Nudge. Sit. I'm trusting you had a rather troubling dream last night? Your eyes are wild with fear and desperation." Chiron gestured for me to take the empty seat next to him, and so I did.

"You could put it like that. Hera-" I started, but I was cut short by the tears welling in my saucer-like eyes. I cursed under my breath. Now was _not _the time to become a weakling. I needed to be strong, just like I was living back with the flock. Like I was at home.

"No need to re-live it now Nudge. I know the general gist of the dream; you see a few of the Demigods you see here experienced something similar last night. Hera told you that you have seventy two hours to live, yes?" I simply nodded, in fear that the stupid tears would escape when I opened my mouth.

Looking around the room, I noticed a lot of my friends I'd met at the campfire looked downright awful. Eleri was sitting with her delicate blonde head resting on Annabeth's shoulder, silent tears streaking down her pale red cheeks. Annabeth was affectionately stroking Eleri's silvery hair, a look of complete despair inhabiting her beautiful face. She had one hand clamped in Percy's, who was sending me reassuring glances which somehow told me he'd experienced something similar. His heavily scarred hand that wasn't holding Annabeth's small tanned one gripped Alfie's knee. Alfie had a pained expression on his face which I knew was holding back the flood that threatened. Niamh sat with Sofia and Chandler, and all three had contrasting expressions. Niamh looked desperate and startled, with tear-streaked cheeks and tangled hair. Sofia was almost expressionless, her green eyes showed no hint of emotion, yet her small dark fists were clenched so tightly her knuckles were bleached white. Chandler, meanwhile, sat with a small smirk on his face, his eyes hungry for something I couldn't quite recognise. I sent the best scowl I could muster in his general direction.

However, the first person I recognised when I'd walked in the room was James. He sat embracing his tiny sister, her whole body shaking with silent sobs. I felt a brand new surge of awfulness as I saw her, I almost began sobbing myself. James, however, remained strong. His angelic face smiled in my direction, yet his beautiful grey eyes gave the whole game away, once again. They were plagued with misery, sorrow and suffering, and I knew he felt exactly as I did.

We all jumped violently when Chiron spoke again.

"Annabeth?" He called. She looked up and nodded in his direction. "Go and fetch Rachel." She kissed Eleri's head and strode across the long, depression-flooded room.

"Who's Rachel?" I asked quietly.

"She's our Oracle," Chiron replied, rubbing his temples. "You need a prophecy from her before you can start on your quest."

When Annabeth reappeared, she was followed not by some freaky women in floaty gowns and scarves draped in beads but by a woman around the same age as Percy with bright red hair and jeans covered with multi-coloured paint. She regarded me with a pitiful look in her eyes, confidently strode across the room and pulled up a chair next to mine. She took my small, dark hand in her warm pale one and spoke directly to me.

"My dear, you do not know how long I have awaited your arrival. I think the time has come for you to know why. When I was just fourteen, I made a prophecy concerning the child of the sky. We assumed this meant a child of Zeus, but I had a feeling it meant more than that. I was obviously correct. Before I make a prophecy concerning your quest, I would like to show you this great prophecy." At once, her voice went harsh and mystical, nothing like her usual gentle tones.

"_Lies will be told, and trust will be broken,  
>Between our Queen and King, harsh words will be spoken.<br>The child of the sky will make the final call,  
>Only then we will know if Olympus will fall.<em>

"So you may have guessed; you are the child of the sky. I know you must leave soon, yet please, I must make you a prophecy for your quest."

My mind went totally blank at that point, and a wave of despair and hopelessness engulfed me. I would make the final call? How? What would happen if I made the wrong decision? Would it mean death, or worse? Yet, before I had time to let my ever clouded mind dwell on those questions, Rachel spoke once again in those disturbing tones.

"_They shall travel through the night to convince our queen,  
>Though they will meet dangers in corners between.<br>Seven will leave us, yet five will return,  
>If the right decision is made, and his lesson is learned."<em>

Everyone looked as if Olympus had already been blown to smithereens. I guessed that the expression on my face would have been equal to that, if not more distraught.

"We're leaving tonight." I declared, in what I hoped was a strong, leader-type voice. Something I'd learned from Max.

As I'd guessed, no one argued.

**Hope you enjoyed it!:D Please Review:)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello! I apologise for the quality of this chapter, I'm experiencing majjjooorrr writer's block. Thank you, thank you everyone for your kind reviews, they really make my day. Enjoy!:)**

**DISCLAIMER.**

**I do not own PJO or MR, however much I wish I did. They belong firmly with James Patterson and Rick Riordan. I do, however own the characters not mentioned in the series, e.g. James and Sofia. They are entirely works of my fabulous (:L) imagination. Any resemblance to any other fictional character in existence is entirely coincidental.**

That was, until some beautiful blonde babe with large, cold blue eyes and the most squeaky, irritating voice in the world stood up and shrieked,

"But, we haven't decided on who'll be _going_ on the quest yet! I, as counsellor for the Aphrodite cabin, believe that I should..." Her voice trailed off as she was met with steely glares all around, especially from the one and only moi.

"Are you freaking _stupid?_" Sofia asked, her powerful, Argentinean voice dripping with anger and malice. "Of course _you're_ not coming, you idiotic Barbie doll. The seven 'lucky' Demigods will be Nudge, James, Niamh, Chandler, Eleri, Alfie and I. Isn't that _totally _obvious? I-" She was cut short by a glare from Chiron.

That was the longest speech I'd ever heard her make. I definitely sensed a strong and deep-rooted rivalry there.

The Aphrodite chick squealed like a small spoilt child. "But you simply _can't_ go on such a massive and important quest like this!"

"Why ever not? Please enlighten me dear." Sofia asked, subtle sarcasm weaving its way into her powerful voice.

"Because, you _moron, _you're not important enough. You're only a daughter of Nemesis, where as my mother earned her rightful place among the Twelve Olympians. You're just some silly, unimportant-"

"THAT IS ENOUGH."

The interruption was so loud I almost jumped out of my skin (and feathers). I span around and, to my utmost surprise, it was Percy on his feet, face burning and hands shaking. I thought that Poseidon was a really important and major God? Maybe I got it wrong, I thought to myself.

He lowered his voice to an eerie whisper.

"I thought we'd all agreed that EVERYONE here is equal."

"Oh come on. No one really believes that nonsense." Alyssa squeaked in her ear-splitting, girlish voice.

"Shut up, you fake, moronic air-head," Niamh sneered.

" James, back me up here!" Alyssa whined, her voice infuriating.

"Why would I, Alyssa? You and I are _long_ over. You know your childish drivel about us children of Olympians being much more important is total bullcrap. You need to get over me and much more importantly, you need to get over yourself. Just leave me alone." James replied with added spite. Alyssa almost burst into tears, and I had the strong desire to say 'oooooooooohhhh', though I didn't think it appropriate in the solemn situation. I shot James a reassuring smile, which I think tipped poor Alyssa over the edge. She burst into tears and stormed furiously out of the room.

Despite the situation, I had to suppress a giggle.

Sofia stood up fiercely, her deep green eyes swimming with hatred.

"Does anyone else have a problem with Niamh or I participating in this quest?" She barked.

I don't think anyone moved a muscle.

"Good." She snarled, and strode quickly and confidently out of the long, tense room.

Later that morning, after much deliberation, I made the decision to visit Sofia and thank her. I found her in her cabin, which was painted dark purple and covered with black roses and tentatively knocked the door. She answered quickly, taken aback at first yet soon invited me inside.

Her cabin contained just one bed. I frowned, opened my mouth to ask but she silenced me with a wave of her hand.

"I am the only current daughter of Nemesis of Camp Half-Blood age. I have a few older siblings, though," She told me, her strong voice thick with something I couldn't quite identify. "You see, my mother's love for my father was so strong, that when he died she vanished. She was completely distraught. She has only recently reappeared, and reclaimed her place at Olympus. She will tell no one, not even I where she went. She has never had another child."

"I'm so sorry. It's pretty lonely, being all by yourself." I mumbled, looking at the floor. My eyes stung as I remembered my family, the flock.

"Do you have any siblings?" Sofia asked me.

"Long story," I replied, my voice shaking with the mere memories of them.

"We have time," She told me, and motioned for me to sit down on her bed.

At first, I'll admit I was waaaay cautious about telling her. I mean, I hadn't told anyone my life story, ever, yet as I got deeper into my past everything came gushing out, like a barricade I'd put up blocking all the memories collapsed, and out came the flood. I described every moment from the cages and the needles to the day I left home. I described each of the flock to her. I told her how Angel is my youngest sister; how she's seven but acts as though she's thirty. I described her beautiful blonde curls and innocent blue eyes, but explained how they're just a façade, how she's really scary and can read and control minds, breathe underwater and heck knows what else. I told her how Gazzy is her biological brother, making them the only biological siblings in the flock. How alike they look, yet his big blue eyes really are innocent. I laughed as I recalled his amazing ability to mimic voices, his ability to make a bomb out of almost anything, along with his partner in crime, Iggy.

Iggy. His name caught in my throat as I recalled his perfectly windswept strawberry blond hair. His sightless eyes, the doorway to all of his emotions. His amazing ears which can hear the tiniest pin drop. His wonderful ability to make me feel better whenever I was worried.

The look in his useless eyes whenever he talked to Ella.

I quickly changed the subject, onto Fang. Oh, I missed him so much. I told Sofia about how I always thought him and Max would get married, have children, run the world. I explained about how his stern features softened whenever he looked at her. She seemed to have that effect on guys.

Max, Max, Max. My mother figure. My hero. The one person in this whole freaking that made my heart ache every time I thought of her. I fantasised about how if she were, I'd beat Hera for sure.

I had to stop talking about my family. It hurt way too much.

I think I must have sat there for an hour, pouring out my heart and soul to this practical stranger.

Max would have been so disappointed in me.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello! Here's a new chapter for you, I know it's a short one but I've updated twice this week! I think it's some kind of record!:D The action will start _very_ soon indeed. Keep recommending to your friends, and reviewing! I really appreciate any sort of review:) ~Luna x**

**DISCLAIMER.**

**I do not own PJO or MR, however much I wish I did. They belong firmly with James Patterson and Rick Riordan. I do, however own the characters not mentioned in the series, e.g. James and Sofia. They are entirely works of my fabulous (:L) imagination. Any resemblance to any other fictional character in existence is entirely coincidental.**

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><p>I couldn't believe how stupid I'd been.<p>

That ludicrous heart to heart could have ruined my whole life. Hadn't Max taught me better?

Mind you, Max always taught us to stick together, stand by each other, and look how well I listened to that.

Screw it, I thought. I'd done enough freaking damage already.

"Why was Percy so defensive about that douchebag Alyssa putting you guys with minor Gods as parents down? I know that what she was saying was a bunch of crap, but why him? I though Poseidon was really powerful?" I asked her, remembering Percy's reaction earlier.

"No one's told you Percy's story yet, huh? He was a forbidden child just like you. I won't go into details, but it was to do with another prophecy. He, Annabeth and a bunch of other demigods saved Olympus from destruction, and the Gods offered him a seat on Olympus in return." She smiled as she watched my eyes widen. "Yet, he obviously declined. His request was that even demigods whose parents were minor Gods could have cabins at Camp and that they'd be treated just the same. Before that there were only twelve cabins, one for Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Apollo, Artemis, Dionysus, Hermes, Athena, Demeter and Ares. Of course, Hera and Artemis' cabins were scarcely used, just for the Hunters of Artemis. They're sworn celibates."

"So Percy feels really strongly about this, huh?" I asked, feeling a new founded respect for him.

"Yeah. He's all for the whole 'equality for all' thing. He met some pretty messed up minor demigods on his numerous quests. Unfortunately, you get narrow minded morons like Alyssa who disagree. The majority of people are cool about it though. They know not to cross me." She smiled, a hint of evil in her emerald green eyes.

Sofia continued to tell me about her life. How she grew up in the mountains of Southern Argentina with her father, and she, unlike many other demigods, was visited by her mother Nemesis often. I told her about my short trip to Argentina, when I was on my way to Antarctica with the Flock. I shivered just recalling it, though Sofia assured me you got used to the freezing temperatures after a while. Her father homeschooled her, as they lived nowhere near a school. He died when she was ten. Her beautiful eyes filled with tears as she told me how he went out hunting and never returned. A satyr came and retrieved her within hours, and brought her to Camp Half-Blood. She had lived at the camp ever since.

"Do many other people board all year around?" I asked her curiously.

"No. It differs year by year, yet I've been here for four years straight now, and that's not true for anyone else. That's why they let me keep Alethea." She replied.

"Who's -" Yet I was answered by a soft 'mew'. A sleek black cat darted across the room with one swift movement and settled gracefully on Sofia's lap. She gazed at me with piercing green eyes. Well, they looked green at first glance. Speckled with bright colours, they reminded me of a tropical rainforest. Alethea tore her rainforest eyes away from my deep brown ones, tucked her head under a tiny paw and subsequently fell into a deep sleep.

"Alethea was given to me by my mother for my ninth birthday," She explained. "She is quite a remarkable specimen, able to seek out a traitor in a crowd full of innocent beings. Her name means truth."

"She's beautiful," I murmured, transfixed by her gorgeousness. I'd always been a massive animal lover, but she was just... wow.

"Not just beautiful, but useful, too. She will be a great asset to our quest." She smiled at me. Noticing the look on my face, she said "Don't look so defeated. We will be successful, I just know it. You're strong, Nudge, I know from all you've told me that you don't give up easily. That's not how Max raised you. You'll see them all again one day, free from Hera's rage. You've just gotta believe. Because those who don't believe they will succeed never do."

Talk about inspirational.

"Thank you Sofia," I told her, my voice full of sincerity. "That just gave me the kick I needed. I'm not gonna give into Hera; I will see my flock again. I know I was stupid for running away, so I've gotta make it up to them somehow. I _will_ do something to make them proud. I _will_ prove that I'm just as strong as everyone else. It doesn't matter that I can't read minds. It doesn't matter that I'm not the leader. It doesn't matter that I'm not the best fighter in the flock. I'm just as awesome and just as powerful."

"Wow. If talking were a sport, you'd be a gold medallist." Sofia laughed.

"Yeah. My flock used to call me The Nudge Channel. Because it's all Nudge, all the time," I smiled. And before I knew it, we were both laughing uncontrollably.

Sofia and I trudged down to the amphitheatre, spirits lifted after our heartfelt conversation. There, unsurprisingly, we found Percy.

"You girls want a last minute practice?" He asked; his face sombre yet encouraging.

"Sure. You ready, Argentina?" I smiled at Sofia as Percy handed me Charis, my sword.

"You bet, Bird Kid," She replied, pulling out a deadly looking bronze dagger.

"I prefer 'Avian American'," I laughed, recalling Max's many hilarious comebacks.

The fight was really intense, but great practice all the same. Sofia was actually an amazing fighter; I guessed that being at camp all the time left a lot of time to practice. She would have taken me out in two seconds flat if I hadn't been raised as a winged assassin.

"You guys'll have no trouble when it comes to fighting on this quest, you're both complete professionals. Believe me; I had nowhere _near_ this amount of skill or practice." Percy reassured us. For the first time, I felt a light go on in the depths of my brain. Maybe I could beat this Hera after all.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Pleeeasseee review?:D<strong>


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